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Ethics Violation for Ethics Officer

Springfield, IL – The ethics officer for Western Illinois University has been suspended for an ethics violation.

The Illinois Supreme Court suspended Bruce Biagini's law license for 90 days.

The Illinois State Bar Association reports "Mr. Biagini, who was licensed in 1972, was suspended after he advised clients to enter into a transaction where they would sell their father's home to Mr. Biagini's business partner, who was related to Mr. Biagini's wife. He advised them to then purchase the house from the business partner pursuant to a contract for deed. He failed to disclose the business and family relationship to the clients."

Biagini works for the law firm Flack, McRaven and Stephens. WIU has a contract with that law firm and has used Biagini as its attorney.

Jackie Thompson, Vice President for Administrative Services, says that contract will continue. "We will just be using the other attorneys in the firm," says Thompson.

WIU is in the ninth year of a ten year contract with the law firm.

The university is billed on an hourly basis. Thompson says it paid the firm a bit more than $87,000 during the budget year that ended June 30.